Stalcup v. Central Intelligence Agency

HOWARD, Circuit Judge.

Though clouded by an airline disaster and claims of a government cover-up, this case ultimately turns on a relatively straightforward question: must the government release certain information? Plaintiff-Appellant Thomas Stalcup brought this Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) suit against the Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA”), seeking two documents from an investigation into the crash of TWA Flight 800. Stalcup also sought the names of the eyewitnesses interviewed during the investigation. The district court rejected Stalcup’s requests, concluding that FOIA permitted…